Hunterdon County Sheriff's Office urges parents to have Child ID kits for young students

WEST AMWELL — On a recent morning at the school, kids, one by one, sat down holding a dry-erase board with their last names and smiled for a picture.

The photo, which will become part of child identification kit, will help parents and authorities if the child is ever missing.

"We never want to think that it can happen, but in the event that it does occur, this is a tool that we could use to locate the child," said Police Chief Lt. Steve Bartzak, whose department partnered with the Hunterdon County Sheriff's Office to No
child's information or picture is retained, Bartzak said.provide parents with a wallet-size ID card and DNA kit with their child's identifiable information.

The card has the child's address, date of birth, height, weight, eye and hair color and distinguishing scars or birthmarks, said Wendy Hayth, a senior execution clerk at the Sheriff's Office. The kit allows parents to collect fingerprints, a hair sample and a swab of DNA, she said, saying that old toothbrushes could be used.

No
child's information or picture is retained, Bartzak said.

The program is voluntary, but Hayth urges parents to participate.

They should have the cards redone every six months for infants and toddlers and once a year when the child turns 3 or 4 because children change so much, she said.

Bartzak said the department, which is looking to branch out to other organizations such as scout troops in the township, wants to purchase its own equipment in the future.

"We don't want to burden the Sheriff's Office every time we have an organization," he said.

The Sheriff's Office brings the program to fairs, festivals and community days, Hayth said.